If you did not spend an hour of your afternoon last Wednesday watching the Budget Speech, don’t worry; our Green Doctor was paying close attention to it! Overall, many announcements could have an impact on Energy Prices and the Cost of Living; the leading headline was the scrapping of Standing Charges...
Scrapping Standing Charges
Standing charges on energy bills have long been unpopular with consumers. Scrapping standing charges could save energy bill payers, on average, £45 a year. However, Standing Charges are unlikely to go away entirely. It is likely that part of the standing charge will be absorbed into the unit rates customers pay.
This could mean lower bills for those households who are energy-conscious. However, household who have unavoidable high energy costs, such as larger families, might in fact see their bills rise.
This change is also not being introduced until 2027, meaning the rises in energy prices forecasted to come in January as the energy price cap is raised again will still have a major negative impact on household finances.
Millions of households in Council Tax bands A-D to get £100!
About 20 million households in England whose properties are in Council Tax bands A to D will receive a £100 payment next year to help with rising energy bills, the Chancellor announced.
If you qualify and pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit, you'll get the payment automatically from January 2027. However, if you pay another way, you'll need to provide your details to your council.
However, with Bills forecast to rise by 27% in January, this £100 payment will not cover a rise of that magnitude.
VAT Cut to energy bills
A VAT cut on electricity bills, which was due to end on 31 March 2027, has now been extended until 1 July 2027. Like the £100 Council Tax payment, this will only have a small impact on the affordability of bills if prices rise as high as has been forecast.
Other Cost of Living Measures Taken
- Fuel duty will be frozen for the 16th year in a row.
- The higher mileage rate for people who use their cars for work will increase from £0.25 to £0.30 a mile.
- The Government will remove import tariffs on more than 100 products, including baked beans, chocolate and gherkins, to help reduce their shop prices.
- Both the national minimum wage and the national living wage will rise by 3.9% in April. The national living wage, for over-21s, was set at £12.71 from April 2026, while the national minimum wage for people aged 18 to 20 was £10.85.
What Green Doctor Can do to Help
During the consultation, a Green Doctor would:
- Provide energy-saving advice - The Green Doctor will assess your home on a room-by-room basis to offer personalised advice on saving energy and money.
- Install small energy-saving measures - The Green Doctor will assess your home on a room-by-room basis to offer personalised advice on saving energy and money. Where applicable, they will also install small energy-saving measures such as LED light bulbs, draught-proofing tapes (to seal gaps around doors and windows), radiator foils, and adjustments to your heating system’s thermostats to optimise its efficiency.
- Assist with energy debts, grants, and discounts - The Green Doctor can help you address billing enquiries and debt clearance with your energy supplier(s). They also assist you in applying for available energy-saving grants or discounts.
- Signpost you to additional support - They will also inform you about additional energy-saving and cost of living support available at your local council and other organisations active in your area.
Contact Us
If you are a charity or organisation that would like to partner with us, please contact us.
Or, if you or someone you know could benefit from free, expert advice on how to stay warm, reduce energy bills, and feel more in control at home, get in touch with Green Doctor today.